Students Launch Relief Fund for Haiti Victims

January 22, 2010

Christendom College students have launched a Haitian Relief Fund for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The effort is being led by the student's Outreach Club, which seeks to put faith into action through corporal works of mercy. All donations are being sent to the St. Francis of Assisi Mission in Banica of the Dominican Republic, located on the Haitian border. The funds will be used to purchase relief supplies—blankets, food, water, and medical supplies.

“Though the devastation of this earthquake has created serious obstacles for countless people, it has also created an opportunity—an opportunity to act in a spirit of service and charity,” says Sarah Miranda, a senior at Christendom and president of Outreach. "These people are battling hunger and hopelessness caused by the deaths of loved ones and the deprivation of their basic necessities: food, water, shelter, and clothing."

Miranda says that while prayer is the essential first step, it should not be the last.

“Through a donation you are contributing to an effort that can turn despair into hope,” she says.

"I had the incredible experience of visiting Haiti in the summer of 2008,” says Brian Gallagher, a fellow senior. “I saw their poverty firsthand and even visited a medical clinic. They needed our help before the earthquake and now their needs are only rising. We must act out of charity to help those less fortunate. This is an amazing opportunity for us to come together and make a little sacrifice that could save lives."

Students aid in constrcting a chapel on
the Haitian border.

The St. Francis of Assisi Mission is a mission of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and has been the destination of many mission trips from Christendom College. Yearly students give up their spring break or summer to volunteer in missionary work in the Dominican Republic and other destinations across the US and Latin America.

The Outreach Club will be hosting a fundraising concert on campus featuring Christendom's own talented musicians on Saturday, January 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the concert that will feature country, folk, and Irish music can be purchased at the door for $5.